The Words We Keep
by EmilyBea
Summary: A short three part CS AU based loosely on the music video for 'The Words' by Christina Perri. I know this has been done before by so many talented writers in this fandom, but I had so many readers ask for it so… here we are.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hey everyone! So after more than a year of having people request my take on an AU for Christina Perri's 'The Words' (of which I know there are many in this fandom), I have finally written something. There were also so many of you with little bits and pieces you wanted that in order to do it justice, I felt like I had to take this outside of the mixtape and make it a three part story. I will later compile all three pieces and put them in the mixtape in case anyone misses it here. This chapter, meanwhile, starts with Killian and anyone who has seen the music video will know exactly where the inspiration comes from. Hope you guys enjoy and thanks for reading!**_

The twilight train that ran through Storybrooke Maine was nothing if not regular.

Killian Jones could set his watch right down to the second based on when he heard that far off rumbling grow into something more and more prominent. Cutting through the woods, and thus cutting through the quiet existence of the surrounding wildlife, the train was a reminder that an outside world remained. It was slow, but persistent, and the whistle it let loose as it approached Killian's home was the same exact tone as all the ones before it. To others, that sound might be unwelcome, but for Killian it signaled it was time for his day to end. Time to put the wood he'd chopped the past few hours in the back shed behind the house and head back in to the solemn comfort of his home.

"All right boy, time to come in! Heaven forbid you miss your dinner."

Killian's intentionally sarcastic call out to the field behind his house was immediately responded to by the mangy mutt who Killian had taken in upon moving to this place years back. The town had long known this furry little miscreant and since the early days of his residence in Storybrooke, when he'd started making mischief and avoiding all attempts at animal control, they'd referred to him as Tramp. Killian hadn't any idea what breed of dog Tramp actually was, but it didn't matter. He was loyal and protective and good company when Killian had so little other interaction with anyone out here.

A quiet life. That was what he'd signed up for when he descended on this cabin in the woods, away from the fray of the day to day. It was what he'd wanted more than anything after the rough and tumble of the years before, but in the solace of the silence there was something that needed facing, a truth Killian had avoided but could not be ignored any longer: he was hiding out here. Hiding from life, from love, from the very forces that had sent his world into spiral before. Out here he was out of reach of that darkness, but was the life he was leading fulfilling? Were the small victories in this tiny kind of existence he'd created enough? More and more he was finding that they weren't, especially not when he considered the possibility that one certain someone posed to him each and every time their paths crossed.

Emma Swan, a woman well befitting of the name, was a florist in the city and one of Killian's most loyal customers, but the feelings that he had for her were anything but professional. Ever since the moment that they'd met, when he'd arrived with his first batch of orchids, Killian felt an unexpected twinge inside his chest, a spark of something long forgotten that he'd pushed aside for years lit from the humor in her eyes and the gentle perfection that was her smile. Emma was gorgeous beyond compare, but it was more than that golden hair and lithe figure with just the right amount of curve that drew him mad. It was the wit that brilliant brain of hers possessed and the kindness that she showed for every person who walked through the doors of her shop. It was the way she always seemed to anticipate a need even before someone had spoken it aloud, and it was how she always seemed to know where his limits were drawn even when he himself was unaware. Because of that Killian had revealed more of his past and personality to this woman than anyone else in a long _long_ time, but even that didn't seem like enough. Most days he wished he'd take things further, that he'd gather the courage to ask her out properly, but those words never seemed to come. Instead he remained tongue tied and hesitant and the moments always past, ending with the same exchange.

" _So I'll see you next week?"_ Emma would ask with a warmth that seeped down to his very soul. She was obviously hopeful that he'd come, and Killian knew it was probably more than just professional interests that drove her, but it still wasn't enough to have him take that last leap of faith.

" _Aye, Swan. I'll see you then."_

The problem was that Killian hated the wait, and all those hours that stood between seeing Emma and reuniting with her in the future never failed to drag on endlessly. No amount of work, no level of need from his other clients, could ever make the time fly faster, and every day that Killian didn't see Emma was a day he wished he would. At least ten times on any given morning he'd debate the merits of driving back to the city and pretending that he'd had some kind of other errand just so that he might run into her, but old doubts always had a way of creeping in and keeping him stagnant when he wanted so badly to move forward.

" _A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets,"_ a voice in Killian's head murmured, and it was the same voice that did most of Killian's internal scolding. His elder brother Liam had always been driven and guided by an unwavering moral compass. Things were easy for Liam, because the world didn't have the same shades of gray that it did for everyone else. Things were either right or they were wrong, good or bad, and there was always an answer to any kind of problem as long as one was willing to do the work of finding it.

Killian had always believed in much of his brother's sensibilities, in that line and in others, but when Liam was taken from this life all too soon two years ago it shook Killian's foundations to the core. There was no understandable reason for Liam's death; just a freak accident off a stormy shore half a world away and his brother was gone. And no matter how much work Killian did, no matter how he occupied his mind or channeled his energies, there was no making sense of it. There was also no understanding how he could have faced that kind of blow and lost so much only to return home, looking for his fiancé at the time, to find her in bed with another man. There was no coming to terms with that kind of agonizing loss and unforgivable betrayal packed in one punch, and so he'd left, wandering for a few months before attempting to pick up the pieces in a place he never imagined on the coast of Maine.

Storybrooke was as quaint and quintessential as it sounded, and in his old life it would hardly have been the place that Killian chose for himself. But a few months after losing Liam he received word that a distant relative had also passed away. She was a great aunt by way of their mother and she was someone that Liam and Killian had never known. She left the two of them a house and a business raising and selling exotic orchid plants to floral distributors all through the region. At first Killian didn't know what to do with such an opportunity, for what the bloody hell did he know of flowers, but he realized that it was his way out if not forward.

Part of him also believed that this opportunity was Liam looking out for him even beyond the grave, trying to offer him roots when all of Killian's had been ruthlessly torn from under him. Because of this, Killian tried his best to make things work here but feeling a connection was difficult. He could escape here, if not face his problems head on, and for a while that was enough. Little by little, week by week, Killian had felt himself going a bit more numb. His heart was hardening and his outlook on the future was dreary and dull, until the day he'd found Emma. For on that day there had been light again, a light that Killian desperately wanted to keep and to strengthen, but that he didn't have words to describe or solicit.

"It's not that hard, mate," he muttered to himself as he marched in the house with Tramp on his heels, heading towards the kitchen to prepare himself and his ever-loyal mutt something for the evening meal. "Just tell the woman how you feel. She might surprise you."

Tramp gave a low bark at that as if trying to respond to Killian and Killian shook his head as he shut the door behind them. "Oh bloody hell, now I'm talking to myself. What's wrong with me, boy?" Tramp only looked up at Killian with the eyes of a slightly confused canine and Killian sighed. "Right, talking to my dog's not much better."

Things were clearly bad if this was the state of his life. Slowly Killian was creeping into the vicinity of actual crazy and the worst part was that it didn't need to be that way. In his heart Killian knew somehow, someway, that Emma wouldn't rebuff him despite the anxieties that swirled in his chest every time they met. He'd seen it in her eyes, in the little gleam that showed up every time he walked into the shop or the way her cheeks stained a lovely shade of pink any time he complimented her. She was not wholly unaffected by the pull between them, so why didn't he just man up and say something? He should just ask her out and be done with it, instead of living each day in this same safe but utterly unfulfilling state.

With those thoughts in mind Killian continued on with his nightly routine of a quiet dinner consumed while he listened to the radio and while Tramp ate beside him before curling up by his feet. There was no television in the cabin on purpose, because escape wouldn't have really been possible if he had a window to the world that way, but the radio had always calmed Killian, and it gave him just enough of a taste of life outside of Storybrooke while allowing him to still avoid to his heart's content. When dinner was done so too was that bit of technological indulgence, and Killian made his way up the stairs of his home and to the well-earned bath he'd been looking forward to.

It might be strange to some to give into such a luxury, especially given all he'd sacrificed for the sake of simple living, but these moments each evening washed away the dirt and grime not only of his work but of the demons of his past, which still sometimes plagued his mind. The steam and the warmth of a good soak in this old clawfoot tub was something that he craved each night, but even in this moment of enjoyment Killian felt how alone he truly was. This world he'd created for himself was insulated from the things he wanted to avoid to be sure, but it was also so empty of the good things life should hold as well. There was a gaping hole that needed filling, and instinct demanded that Killian admit the truth, that the only person he could ever hope would take that role was Emma. No one else would stand a chance against his heartache, but Emma made him feel things – _want_ things – that he'd resigned himself to losing all those years ago.

Just the thought of what he wanted and the image of Emma in his head was enough to have him hard and aching. For so long he'd been unfeeling, but Emma had changed that and as he came to take his length in hand, he wished it were her fingers gripping him instead. Emma had the softest skin, despite her avid love of flowers and the gardening he knew she delighted in at home, and Killian allowed himself to imagine what it would be like if they did take that step after wanting it for so long. It would happen after a proper date between them, and he'd find a way to romance his Swan and make Emma feel as special and remarkable as he found her to be. That date would culminate in a kiss that heated through to something more, something defined by lust and ruled by an untamed desire and connection that would not wane.

Killian could practically taste her on his tongue as the scenario in his head continued, and the Emma of his fantasies was just as kind and serene as the one he knew, but as fiery and passionate as her eyes always alluded to. Underneath those innocent summer dresses and professional winter sweaters lay a woman who knew what she wanted and who would take all she needed, and Killian craved the chance to know her in such a way more than anything. Emma was, in short, perfection, and sooner than he should Killian came at the vision of her unable to feel shame for it despite the mess he'd made and the intimacy of his actions that she couldn't possibly know were happening. But Emma Swan was temptation itself, a vision of loveliness and a light in his life he so desperately needed, and knowing that grounded something in Killian tonight as he cleaned off and eventually lay down for bed:

The time of waiting and wondering were over. He couldn't let another night go by where all he had were dreams and musings about what could be. So tomorrow would be the day that he set out to change his luck. Tomorrow he'd tell Emma how he truly felt. He'd ask her out for more than a fleeting moment at her shop, and when he did he'd start actually living again instead of wasting away in the quiet he once saw as a comfort that had now become his hell. And as he fell asleep, succumbing to that final state of rest that separated him from the next morning where he'd see his Swan again, Killian dreamed of the life that could be if only he and Emma were given the chance to build something together.

 _ **Post-Note: So for this chapter specifically, I am addressing the bulk of the requests I've gotten. A few of you wanted the bathtub scene to go further than it did in the video (some of you actually wanted it to be way dirtier, but alas here we are, please forgive me!). A few wanted insight into Killian's thoughts if he was the character from the song, and one of you even went so far as to specifically request that he have a dog in this story! That being said, there is still more to come and next chapter we get not only the two of them meeting, but we get Emma's POV of how it will go. Since this is only a three-part story and the chapters are so short, you can all expect that it's a fluff-filled, smut-light showing, but not to worry, I'm hoping to pack in all the CS cuteness I can in the chapters that I write. Anyway, thanks so much for reading this first part and I hope you all continue on with me next week when I put out chapter 2!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hey all! We are back with chapter two of this baby MC and with it comes the promised meeting of our two lovesick cuties and Emma's POV. Here we start to veer a little more from the actual video, but for those of you who requested this song and different elements, you'll probably see how I tried to honor your vision. Hope you all enjoy and thank you so much for reading!**_

Mondays were very rarely the favorite day of anybody's week, but Emma Swan had never really been normal.

Since she was a girl Emma knew that her life would be different than everyone else's and that was fine. Foster kids were out of the ordinary by definition, and orphans who didn't ever find their place were even rarer. To go so long without a home to call hers made Emma see the world differently, but that was okay with her. She didn't resent the way things had been as she once had when she was younger; she simply picked herself up and kept moving forward. It was the only way to survive, and Emma was proud that she was still going and still making her own success and happiness despite everything that had been stacked against her.

The reason she loved Mondays, however, didn't have anything to do with her past or the baggage she carried. No, her love of the first day of the work week was for an entirely different reason, and though it made her into a walking cliché, Emma was woman enough to admit that the reason was because of a man, one particular man who had been sneaking past her defenses since the first day they met. Killian Jones was quiet, almost reserved at first meeting, but over time they'd warmed up to each other, and what had started as a simple attraction on Emma's part grew to more. One day she woke up and realized that her best days were the days she got to see him and that all the others were filled with little moments where she thought of him and wished that he were there. At first she believed that to be a weakness, but eventually she'd come to realize that it wasn't. It took a lot of courage for Emma to feel that kind of want for anyone, and allowing herself a crush was arguably healthy given everything she'd endured.

The only problem was Emma increasingly wanted to take that crush and push it further. She wanted to tell Killian how she really felt instead of jumping off from small talk about orchids to one or two short subjects every week. They never had more than ten minutes together and though those ten minutes always felt like magic, Emma truly wanted more and she thought Killian did too. But she also knew from the look in his blue eyes that she wasn't the only one with past heartaches or troubles that plagued her. She could see the lingering demons that he carried, and though they'd faded the past two years, Emma knew that truly letting them go would be some of the hardest work Killian would ever undertake. She didn't know the details but she empathized completely. She only wished that he'd be ready soon so she could finally know if this was as right as she felt it was as opposed to just dreaming about it day in and day out.

"You know I can't even make a joke about you being a morning person since you usually aren't, but every Monday without fail here you are, bright eyed and bushy tailed and bursting with hope."

The words of commentary stemmed from the back of Emma's shop as she walked through the front door and turned the closed sign to signal they were open. Without even needing to see her face Emma knew that it was Ruby Lucas, her best friend and assistant in the shop. Ruby came in early each day to greet the bulk of their vendors so she could have time to leave early for her afternoon classes, but on Monday's Emma made an exception and she came in for one particular man who drove an old pick up truck filled with the world's most beautiful flowers.

"Is that any way to speak to someone who brought you donuts?" Emma asked, undeniably deflecting and bribing her friend all at once. But it worked. One second Ruby had been smirking with a hand on her hip and friendly judgment in her eyes, and the next she was thrilled and Killian was temporarily forgotten.

"I knew I loved you for a reason. How many did you get?" Ruby asked with barely restrained glee.

"Half a dozen. I figured that way I can actually have one this time," Emma replied with a heavy helping of the sass the two friends were famous for.

"Hmm, well only if you have to…" Ruby teased and the two women laughed at the running joke that Ruby could put food away like no one else without ever gaining a pound. It was hardly fair, but Emma loved Ruby too much to hold her metabolism against her.

"So… has anyone been here for deliveries yet?" Emma asked as she sipped her coffee nonchalantly and Ruby grinned as she shook her head.

"Nope. It's just been little ole' me and a bunch of flowering plants. No signs of Captain Hottie yet."

"Ruby," Emma chastised as she fought to keep a straight face, but even the mention of Killian's ridiculous nickname made her heart skip a beat. Damn her for being so predictable, but she couldn't contain her excitement that he hadn't been in yet. That meant he would be in later when she was here and Emma could hardly wait.

"I know, I know," Ruby sighed dramatically. "No more teasing you about the future husband even though it's so totally obvious you're both in love and definitely going to make babies someday."

"Ruby!" Emma yelped, looking around the store that she knew was still empty for fear that they'd be heard. Not that it would really matter if anyone other than Killian overheard. He didn't live around here like most of her customers did, instead residing in a cottage by the shore in a town thirty minutes from here that Emma always found herself wanting to visit.

"Chill, Ems. It's all good. He's not here yet. Besides, I have a really good feeling about today. Granny had one of her super vivid dreams again and, well, actually maybe I shouldn't say…"

Emma was a half a second away from demanding that Ruby elaborate, because if she'd learned anything from her years of friendship with Ruby it was that Granny Lucas' dreams should never be ignored, but at that moment the first of the day's customers started arriving, and there never seemed to be a slow chunk of time from that point on. There were always people looking to buy some sort of arrangement, and as much as Emma wanted to know about this dream, she couldn't forsake her customers. It took a lot for a florist to be as successful as she had become and a lot of that had to do with her customer service and attention to detail. Emma couldn't give that up just because her stomach was tied in knots over something potentially happening with Killian, and in fact she was so distracted from the work that a few hours later when the man who starred in all her late night fantasies and day time dreaming appeared she didn't notice for a moment. It actually took the clearing of Ruby's throat across the way for Emma to pop up from behind the bushel of lilacs she'd been dealing with, but when her eyes latched onto Killian that familiar sense of awe and desire struck right through her chest.

 _God, he never gets any less hot does he?_ She thought to herself as she took him in.

Her eyes trailed quickly over a very familiar scene wherein which Killian, dressed in a tight flannel shirt and dark wash jeans, looked almost too hot to handle. Killian was always fully clothed in her presence, save for that one glorious July day last summer when she'd caught him wiping away some sweat with the bottom of his t-shirt, but it didn't take x-ray vision or that one fortuitous interlude to know that a muscled physique lay under those casual clothes. Just thinking about those hard muscles and defined lines made Emma's mouth water and her pulse tick up a beat. Killian had the physique of someone who worked out, but not at a gym. No he was more rustic, more manly, and almost problematically attractive as a result. Yet his body was almost nothing compared to the spark that came whenever their eyes met and the deep cobalt blue of his gaze caught hers. His easy smile always turned up to one side, and a bit of his black hair fell against his forehead today, the length edging on the precipice of his needing a haircut even as it perfectly matched the stubble of his beard that showed he hadn't shaved in days. Emma swallowed harshly in the face of it all, and then she remembered she actually had to greet him.

"Hey, you made it," Emma said cheerily and Killian nodded, his hand coming to scratch behind his ear as he stepped towards her, filling the space with the scent of something woodsy and inherently male that always wrapped Emma up in a comforting blanket of safety and desire. _Crap_! She had to keep her wits about her, but it was so damn hard when he was so attractive at every level.

"Aye, love, I did, and I've got something special for you this time."

Innocent as the comment was, Emma found herself blushing at the innuendo that could have been and the lilt of his accent that always lingered with the faintest brush against her skin. Could he possibly know of all the times she'd thought about getting 'something special' from him? Hell, did he know that just last night she'd been in bed and let her fingers roam to the thought of him touching and kissing and loving her the way that only ever happened in her dreams? Rationally Emma knew that he didn't, but she couldn't fend off the wave of heat and yearning at his words. On the outside, however, she tried to play it cool, running her hands over the sundress she was wearing with her favorite little yellow buttercups printed all over, before moving forward to follow him back to his truck where his orchids would be. Unfortunately though, interruption came calling just as they were about to make their escape and just when Emma had geared herself up to make today different and ask him if maybe he'd like to go out sometime.

"Emma, God I'm so sorry but we've got a problem. Turns out Mrs. Hubbard meant to order one hundred calla lilies, but she actually ordered one hundred _Easter_ lilies. Now she's really upset and she only trusts you… I wouldn't intrude but…" Ruby genuinely seemed distraught at cutting into this time, and the look of her friend's expression was enough to tell Emma this really was an emergency in the making. It just felt so unfair that this would happen now when Emma was feeling so good and so hopeful.

"But Mrs. Hubbard is one of our biggest clients," Emma finished as her heart sank and she turned back to Killian. "I'm sorry, and I know you have other stops to get to today, but I'm sure whatever you brought is perfect. Ruby can you…?" 

Emma couldn't even complete the sentence because her voice was cracking at the thought of missing their moment today, but Ruby jumped in and saved her as Emma spared one last look at Killian. She could sense he too was disappointed, but there was nothing she could do. As much as she wanted this to be the moment, it clearly wasn't, and Emma had to deal with the pain in her heart as she went to sort out a problem as creatively as she could despite her not feeling even remotely up to it.

In the end the issue was resolved, and Mrs. Hubbard was as happy as could be, thank goodness, but by the time Emma returned Killian had left. Ruby looked at Emma with something like pity but there was nothing to say. There was always next week, right? And in the moments where Emma felt like it was all just too much, she comforted herself with the gift Killian had brought her. Because the flower that he grew and nurtured for her was special; a rare species of orchid that was a deep, rich, cerulean blue. It was actually the color of the inner ring of Killian's eyes, and even though it felt like a wash of a day, Emma couldn't help but smile every time she looked at it. It was easily a four hundred dollar plant, but Emma knew in her heart she wouldn't sell it. This one she'd keep and cherish as long as she could, because she just needed it after a day like this one.

Hours later, as she was locking up for the night Emma carried that same plant to the little yellow bug she'd had for years. Parked out behind the shop, it was still pretty far from the fray of the cityscape around them, the alleyway softening much of the noise that tended to be in places like this. But where Emma expected to be totally alone, there was a surprise waiting for her out back that took her breath away.

"Killian?" Emma asked, not sure if it was really him until she blinked a few times and he remained, his face still handsome as ever though he looked a little nervous.

"Emma. I'm sorry to bother you so late -,"

"It's no bother," Emma said quickly before he could worry about something that had made her day infinitely better already. "Is everything all right?"

"Aye, love. It's just – well I had a plan when I came in here today. I was going to – well you see I was thinking that – oh bloody hell. I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me sometime."

It took a moment for Emma to process the words, mostly because she was so stunned and elated all at once that everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Finally after waiting so long the moment she'd always hoped for was here, and she wanted to savor it even as she wanted to put Killian out of the misery of waiting for a reply. How he could ever doubt that she would say yes? Wasn't it totally obvious that she wanted this too? Perhaps not since he looked like she held the fate of his whole world in the palm of her hands.

"You mean like a date?" Emma clarified, feeling the tension in her voice from all of her emotions, and Killian nodded pulling a smile from her that couldn't be contained. "Yeah, I'd love that."

"You would?" Killian asked, clearly surprised, but taking a step towards her so his hand came to hold hers in his. The lightening that came at his touch was amazing, just like she'd remembered from the day they met and shook hands in hello, and Killian seemed to feel that too, since he looked at a loss for words.

"Mhmm. How does tomorrow work for you?"

"Tomorrow is perfect, Swan," he said with a grin before eyeing the planter she had in her arms and seeing that she had his orchid in her care. "Taking this one home?"

"Uh, yeah. After you left earlier I got to see it and I just couldn't bare to let it go. I was still going to pay you your fee of course but -,"

"There's no need to, love. If you want it, it's yours. Truth be told it was always meant for you." His words were firm and sincere and Emma felt them wash over her as he offered to take the plant and put it securely in her car for her. Once that was done and her door was shut, they looked at each other again, both of them waiting a beat before Emma filled the space between them.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Emma asked and Killian nodded.

"Tomorrow," he agreed before he took her hand again and kissed it gently. Emma shivered at the contact, but she felt a loss when he turned around and headed back for his truck.

"Wait!" she said, and immediately Killian turned looking at her with concern. It was clear in that moment just how much he cared for her, it was written so plainly on his face, and seeing that look that fell no short of love Emma knew what she had to do. She closed the space between them before pulling him in by the collar of his jacket and kissing him the way she'd wanted to for a very long time.

The kiss went on forever and yet was over too soon, and the flare of pure vibrancy and life that coursed through Emma was heady and unreal. She felt like anything was possible in the face of such a kiss, and tucked away as she was here in Killian's strong arms she knew she'd never felt more at home than she did right now. This was what it felt like to find the one person you were always meant to be with, and Emma knew even if it sounded crazy that this kiss was the start of a long and happy journey she and Killian would share from here on out. Granny Lucas had been right – today was a day to remember always.

"I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to do that," Emma whispered as they came back up for air, explaining something she knew that Killian was already well aware of. His smile at that was beautiful, and his hand came to cup her cheek as his thumb brushed lightly across her lips.

"I think the time for waiting is over, Emma. Now I've tasted perfection there'll be no turning back."

"Good," Emma replied, and with one more quick kiss the two of them went their separate ways, neither of them wanting to leave the other, but both of them knowing that tomorrow would bring more of this joyful sense of being and a whole new adventure for the two of them to share.

 _ **Post-Note: So obviously the fluff was here in full force for this chapter, and I cannot even pretend that I am sorry for it. I gave myself all of the feels writing this little piece of the AU and it was awesome and wonderful and I have zero regrets. I hope you guys feel the same way as you read this, and just know that there will be that promised third chapter coming as soon as I can get it written. I have so much going on with the school semester now in full swing, but trust that this story is not over and there will be one last fluffy piece to tie it all together that I am aiming to put out in about two weeks. Thanks again to all of you who have reviewed and commented and read along, and to those of you who asked for this song I thank you too. You're all lovely and wonderful and I hope you have a great rest of your weekend!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Hey everyone! So as promised here is the last fluffy (and smutty) little piece of 'The Words We Keep.' As you all must have expected it is nothing if not over the top sweet, but hey, that's the only way I know how to write for this couple. Thank you to all of you for the comments, reviews, and amazing support. It has meant the world and I am just happy that you guys have embraced this little AU. Hope you guys enjoy and definitely let me know what you think!**_

 _What a difference one year can make,_ Killian thought to himself the following spring as the train sounded down the tracks, rolling in at the same exact time that it always had.

Yet while some routines remained, life was entirely different now than it had been then. For one thing the solitude was gone, the loneliness all but forgotten, and the light Killian had been missing was now never far from his reach. He and Emma had started something all because he'd let those pent up words of wanting slip out of his mouth a year ago. The exact request of a date with just the two of them could be seen as asking for very little, but that spoken wish had led to so much more. One date had turned to many, one kiss to countless others, and after two years of build up the romance came easy. The comfort was there and that feeling of never being so alive and so adventurous while also feeling safe enough to share his burdens with Emma too was the best thing he'd ever known. His Swan had saved him in so many ways, and now here they were, watching the twilight and the train go by from the porch swing Killian had put here just for the two of them.

"Sometimes I swear I'm going to wake up and realize this was all a dream," Emma murmured from her place beside him, tucked up in his embrace as she watched the train pass as the lingering light of the now gone sun slipped away.

"It's hard to imagine such a life after the one's we led, my love. But we were always meant to be. We were always meant to find our way here."

Emma smiled at that, her hand absentmindedly coming to cover the bump of her newly showing belly. Sometime late this summer they'd be welcoming their first child, and Killian couldn't imagine a greater gift, save for his chance to love Emma as he deserved. Calling her his wife, knowing that they were forever tied together and that they'd share their story side by side, made every day the best day it could be. There was no more wondering. There was no more doubt about where he stood or what he wanted. There was only certainty that he was the luckiest of men and that he would always cherish the opportunity to belong to this gorgeous, precious woman at his side.

Six months ago, in a fall wedding that was like something from a fairy tale, the two of them had tied the knot in a ceremony out here on their land, surrounded by a picturesque autumnal landscape and all their well-wishers and best friends. Perhaps it might have seemed crazy to some, to marry so quickly after starting to truly give this a go, but Killian had known from the first moment that this was what he wanted. Emma swore she felt the same way and so it seemed silly to wait when all was considered. Why put off what they could have now for a distant future? Why sacrifice the present because people might think they lacked patience or sense? The two of them were confident in the love they had, and that had been more than enough.

Despite the time that had lapsed since then, Killian could remember every detail of their wedding and he held those images close to his heart always. At any given moment Emma was the loveliest woman he'd ever known, but on that morning she'd been something else entirely. Dressed in white lace and donning a genuine smile that spoke to how truly happy she was, as the rays of golden sun glistened in her hair, she'd nearly stopped his heart. It felt like all of the light in the world was reserved for his Swan and that everything else faded away in that moment. There was no reception of people, no minister, nothing except for Emma and him, taking a step towards forever at last. It was almost impossible to behold such perfection, but somehow he'd done it, taking her hand in his and promising her the whole world should she wish for it.

" _Emma, I wish there was a way to truly tell you all that I feel, to express to you what your love has brought my life and how you've changed me and made me the man I always wanted to be. And though I've never been the best with words, I'll try and give it a shot: Since the day that we met, you have illuminated something long missing from my very soul. You cut through the noise and the silence alike. You mended a heart that was sure its best of days were behind it, and you've taught me with every passing hour that there is nothing that can harm me – nothing that can touch this perfect feeling – as long as I have you. Together we're building a life and living a dream –_ our _dream – and I can't say how ready and how happy I am to be starting this with you here and now. You are my always and my forever, Emma, and I will love you until the end of time."_

Teary-eyed as she'd been after his vows, Killian knew that his woman was nothing if not up for any challenge. He had no doubt at all that she would hear his professed words of devotion and match them with ones of her own, but Emma had delivered something more melodic, more beautiful, and more magical than even he could conceive. Her words had been effortless and brilliant all in one, and for all his days and even after he was gone they'd be tattooed on his very being.

" _Killian – in all the imaginings I had about my life and my future, I never allowed myself to_ really _believe that it would be like this. I was afraid to let love in, to risk my heart. But the scariest part was letting go, and after I did that – after I trusted in you and in us – the rest was easy. You've proven to me that what we have is real and good. It's beautiful and precious, and it's enough to chase away every ghost from both our pasts and fend off any troubles that may come our way. In all honesty, the only word I have for what your love makes me feel is magic. And I know magic is supposed to be something reserved for children and for storybooks, but with you I'm not so sure that's true. Because you make me see everything differently. You make me believe in the impossible. You make me brave enough to hope when hope was something I never could risk before. I'll never be able to tell you how thankful I am for that, and for you. All I can say is that I love you, and I can't wait to love you my whole life and forever after."_

"I can't wait to share all of this with the baby," Emma said dreamily, her words cutting into Killian's memory as her eyes cast out over the farm and fixed on the gardens they'd worked so hard on making for this spring.

Once a rather barren place, this land was now truly starting to come to life with a mix of random wildflowers and carefully selected blossoms alike. Beyond it were the fields and the trees that had always been here, and off in the distance those waves upon the nearby coast still washed ever so softly. It was an enchanted place, and somehow Emma coming had not only brought Killian back to life, but it had brought his home and his land just as much. This place was perfect, and Killian was just as eager to share it with their little one and all the others that might come thereafter, but before he could say that, Emma beat him to the punch with another thought.

"She's going to love it, I just know it."

The comment might seem to a stranger like it was nothing but sweet sentiment, but Killian felt the ache in his chest at all that Emma had just given away. They hadn't found out yet what they were having, but when Emma turned to look at him with her smile and happy tears in her eyes Killian knew that she had discovered the truth and he was overjoyed. A little girl, an angel who would no doubt be just like her mother, was joining their little family soon, and Killian felt choked up from the raw emotion of finding it out like this.

" _She_? We're having a girl?" He asked, and Emma nodded as her hand came to cup his cheek and her thumb brushed ever so slightly across the place where bare flesh met the scruff of his beard.

"Mhmm. Ruby's Grandma had another dream…" Emma said with a surprisingly straight face, causing Killian's brow to instinctively rise. Emma was seriously giving this kind of power to the admittedly often-correct guesses of her best friend's Gran? But then Emma giggled and shook her head. "And the doctor called today too."

Killian didn't know whether to scold Emma for the teasing or laugh at it, but neither needed to happen since their lips met in that moment and the sweetness of this blissful moment in time and the shared joy of their good fortune soon melted to something hotter and more fueled by need. They were used to this at this point, aware that the chemistry and the fire between them was nowhere near disappearing, and instead of torturing either of them with something long and drawn out, Killian decided to take what he wanted. In seconds he was on his feet with his wife swept up in his arms as he headed into the house, and as he carried her in, hearing the light hearted laughter that sang out between them and entering the home they'd built together, Killian knew that life was really and truly _good_ and that with Emma in his arms it always would be.

….

Swept off her feet was an apt description of Emma's relationship with her loving husband, and as he brought her into the house to no doubt deliver on the taste of foreplay between them out their on the porch swing, Emma couldn't help but think back to how this giddy feeling of rightness had been there from the start.

About a year ago Emma and Killian had gone on their first date, and after a first kiss that should have been reserved for one of those classic romantic movies, Emma hadn't known what to expect. It was all so up in the air and it felt like a big, huge, gigantic deal that things were finally happening, but Emma knew even then that whatever Killian had planned she would love. Yet even she couldn't have imagined all the stops he would pull for her, and that dinner under the stars at the Public Gardens private greenhouse had been unreal. Maybe it was a good guess on his part, given her obvious love of flowers and greenery, but everything was purposeful and full of thought from the white twinkle lights that were strung up in the canopies above to the gourmet grilled cheese and onion rings that were on their special menu. Emma had no idea how he could know her favorite foods or her favorite place, but it was clear from that point on that Killian _did_ know her almost better than she knew herself.

With such a connection between them love came oh so swiftly. She'd been halfway there before they'd so much as gone on a single date, but in the weeks and months that followed Emma couldn't stop the blissful fall. There hadn't been anything like fear in it either, and though she'd had to learn to grow in some ways, Emma never doubted that all their choices were right for what they wanted and for the life they were trying to build together. They were moving quickly, what with moving in together and getting married in close succession, and now they had a baby on the way too, but to Emma it was perfect. She couldn't even think of slowing down when she'd waited so long for this man and for this chance. Instead she embraced every opportunity and she allowed herself the best of all worlds.

Despite the argument that she couldn't have her cake and eat it too, Emma knew that she could own a business, be a wife, and soon be a mother with the right kind of framework set up and with Killian's love and support. As a first step to securing that Emma made Ruby a partner, helping to ease off some of her commitments so she could cut down her physical days in the shop to three a week when their little girl came this summer. Someday she might go back to more, but right now everything was about balance and prioritizing the things that mattered most. For Emma that was family, and that family was only possible because of this man who carried her with such tenderness and care.

"You're not going to be able to do this much longer," Emma murmured as her fingertips ran across the top of his flannel shirt that was slightly unbuttoned, teasing out the course hair underneath. "Soon I'll be as big as a house, or so everyone tells me."

"You know I love a challenge, Swan," Killian joked as they made it to the top of the stairs and into their bedroom. "But not to worry. I'd never put you or our little lass at risk. I'll find other ways to ravish you properly."

Emma swallowed harshly at that as Killian lay her down atop their bed. That word – ravish – was one she'd heard before from Killian and he wasn't being hyperbolic. Every time they came together like this he fulfilled Emma in ways that were indescribable. Her blood thrummed with heat at the thought of it and her pulse ticked up as she wet her lips in anticipation. Her husband watched all of this closely, his eyes locked on her as he moved to strip the shirt he'd been wearing off. The sultry action had Emma's head spinning, and all she could wonder was how he'd love her tonight and if she'd be able to take it or if she'd finally die and go to heaven.

"The answer to your question is simple, Swan. I'll give you everything and more, just as I always do."

Emma didn't even know if she'd asked the question allowed, but Killian certainly answered her internal musings with authority. As he did so he also teased her bit by bit, easing down the zipper at the side of this dress that had at most a few weeks left of wearability. Then he slipped it off of her, stripping down the leggings beneath but taking his time with the lace she wore underneath. His eyes were molten at the sight of her and Emma would have grinned triumphantly if she were capable of it. As it was, she was too wrapped up in the feel of his hands moving against her, his body coming over her as she lay back against the bed, his presence hot and hard and domineering.

"Every damn time you do this to me, Emma," Killian growled out, his fingertips tracing the red edges of her barely there bra before he came to unclasp the front of it with deft fingers and the precision of a man used to seductively undressing his wife. "All prim and proper on the outside, and then a vixen underneath."

"You aren't complaining are you?" Emma asked, meaning to sound more confident, but finding her voice was airy and filled with a quivered sense of desire as he trailed kisses from her lips down her jaw and to her neck.

"Never, my love. You might drive me to an early grave one of these days, but God, it'll be worth it to have you like this and know you're all mine."

"And you're mine," Emma said as her hands roamed over him, her mind thinking of what she could do to flip the tables and have him as aroused as quickly as he had made her, but then his mouth was on her breasts and she was sidetracked, blinded by the pleasure of his attentions.

Killian knew just what to do, how to lick, suck, nip, and Emma was totally beholden to this moment. She felt the need coil low in her gut like a spring, winding tighter and tighter and tighter and he'd barely taken this anywhere. His fingers were only just edging up her thigh, and by the time he grazed ever so lightly across the soaked material of her panties Emma was gasping out. She could try and pretend it was baby hormones, but that would be a lie. This was all Killian, and her body had no choice but to succumb to his plans that always ended in the most delicious release.

First with his fingers he took her right to the brink, knowing exactly how to play it so her lust crept higher and higher, but when she was nearly there he stopped, pulling away and bringing his fingers up to lick. The sinful gesture left Emma even more needy. Seeing her husband like this, almost like an animal when to everyone else he was nothing but a gentleman, was overwhelming enough, but then he was kissing down her body, leaving marks from the scratch of his beard and the edge of his kisses. That roughness was perfectly balanced, however, with only the tenderest of attentions to where their baby was currently growing.

"I love you, Emma," Killian said as he hovered above her bump. "And I love this little one with everything in me too. How I'll ever thank you for giving me all of this… God, I'll never have a way."

Emma debated telling him the truth, which was that there was no thanks needed. How could she expect thanks when Killian had just as much power over her happiness and her feelings of contentment as she did for him? But while caving to the sweetness was tempting, it would be oh so much more delicious if she took this another way. Emma could poke at that primitive need in Killian to satisfy her and claim her as his, and since she knew that their usual sparks flamed so much hotter when she did, it was an easily made choice.

"I wouldn't say that…" Emma counseled as she tried to speak with seductive tone that held more control than she felt. "You could actually follow through instead of teasing me."

That was it. The gauntlet was thrown and no sooner had Killian growled out that she didn't know what she was asking for, than his mouth was right where she wanted him, landing hot and eager on the slick flesh of her sex. Thoughts flew from Emma's mind and there was only sensation. It wasn't teasing either but demanding and oh so freaking good! She couldn't stop the climax that had been building up from crashing over her, but it wasn't enough to appease her husband. Saddled with a challenge he was set on satisfying every need and only when she'd come again and was right at the edge of more did he relent, crawling back up her body and meeting her eyes as he filled her with one long hard thrust.

"Killian!" Emma moaned as her hands gripped at him for purchase. She couldn't even get the rest of her thoughts out. Did she want more? Harder? Faster? She hardly knew. All Emma was certain of was that she needed her husband, trusted him more than anything, and that she was so close to breaking apart again as he kept up his perfectly timed tempo, designed to get them both exactly where they needed to be.

"Let go, Emma. You know I won't stop until you've given me what I want, and I want you. All of you."

Emma did know that, and the edge of command along with the raw need in his voice was all it took for her to obey that wish. She cried out his name again, pulling him down to kiss and feeling like she was floating as she eventually came back to herself. Sex should never be that good. It just wasn't fair to everyone else who didn't get to enjoy something so divine, but hell if Emma cared. She was just so freaking happy and she knew as she looked over to Killian, who was lying on his side, perched up to look at her with a gaze of pure adoration and love, that he felt just the same. This was their happily ever after, and after so many years apart, and so many trials that they'd both had to face alone, they were more than worthy of it.

"You know what would be amazing right now?" Emma asked some time later after the two of them had cuddled together and she'd traced a hundred tiny maps that all lead to his heart across his skin. But Killian didn't need any actual hints to know what she was thinking. Instead he kissed her lightly before grinning and getting up from the bed, giving her a full view of that body of his that always drove her crazy even if he'd just ravished her completely.

"Aye, love. Cleaning up the mess we've made just to do it all over again."

And with that new plan in place, and the promise of a romantic soak with her loving husband followed by a night wrapped up in his embrace, Emma allowed herself to feel all the bliss and magic that love could bring. For that was her new fate and her enduring destiny: she and Killian would always have this love no matter where life would take them, and Emma for one could hardly wait.

 _ **Post-Note: So there we have it. I think I officially ticked off all of the requests with this, including those of you who wanted pregnant Emma and some gratuitous smut. Needless to say I have had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope to write some more similarly short but oh so sweet stories in the future. Thank you all for joining me, and if you happen to be a new reader check out my other stories! They're basically all this level of over the top cuteness, I swear. Anyway thanks again and hope you all have a lovely rest of your weekend!**_


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